1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to wireless communications. More particularly, the present invention relates to the use of a wireless communication device incorporating a secured smart card module to transmit and receive sensitive or confidential information.
2. Description of Prior Art
A wireless communication device (WCD) may communicate over a multitude of networks. Cellular networks facilitate WCD communications over large geographic areas. For example, the Global System for Mobile Telecommunications (GSM) is a widely employed cellular network which communicates in the 900 MHZ-1.8 GHZ band in Europe and at 1.9 GHZ in the United States that provides voice communication and supports the transmission of textual data via the Short Messaging Service (SMS). SMS allows a WCD to transmit and receive text messages of up to 160 characters. It also provides data transfer to packet networks, ISDN and POTS users at 9.6 Kbps. While cellular networks like GSM are a well-accepted means for transmitting and receiving data, due to cost, traffic and legislative concerns, a cellular network may not be appropriate for all data applications.
Bluetooth™ is a short-range wireless network technology quickly gaining acceptance in the marketplace. A Bluetooth™ enabled WCD transmits and receives data at a rate of 720 Kbps within a range of 10 meters, and may transmit up to 100 meters with additional power boosting. A user does not actively instigate a Bluetooth™ network. A plurality of devices within operating range of each other will automatically form a network group called a “piconet”. Any device may promote itself to the master of the piconet, allowing it to control data exchanges with up to seven “active” slaves and 255 “parked” slaves. Active slaves exchange data based on the clock timing of the master. Parked slaves monitor a beacon signal in order to stay synchronized with the master, and wait for an active slot to become available. These devices continually switch between various active communication and power saving modes in order to transmit data to other members of the piconet.
More recently, WCDs have began to incorporate various devices providing enhanced functionality for facilitating close-proximity information exchanges. Sensors and/or scanners may be used to read visual or electronic information into a device. The transaction may involve a user holding their WCD in proximity to a target, aiming their WCD at an object (e.g., to take a picture) or sweeping the device over a tag or document. Machine-readable technologies such as radio frequency identification (RFID), optical character recognition (OCR) and various other types of visual, electronic and magnetic scanning are used to input information useful to the user.
Worldwide, the use of WCDs has flourished due to the aforementioned increases in quality and functionality. These devices combine the ability to reliably relay various forms of information into a single compact package. These benefits have allowed professionals to create new business paradigms providing better and faster service, resulting in increased satisfaction for their customers without having to suffer additional workload.
There are many examples of improvements in the workplace realized from the advent of wireless communications. At the lowest level, WCDs often replace walkie-talkies or CB radios for communication between workers. However, greater functionality in WCDs have led to additional applications. Workers may now use a WCD to review electronic schedules for their work day, receive visual or audio instructions as to how to complete their jobs, track their progress by scanning job site time/geographic markers or by taking digital pictures of completed procedures, and relay status relevant information back to a central information repository. All of this can be done from one portable device, alleviating the need for inefficient paper handing.
There are some applications, however, that have resisted the “wireless revolution.” For example, doctors are entrusted with sensitive information in regard to the treatment of their patients. Currently, if a doctor, or another health professional, were to make a house call, she would have to carry a paper version of the patient's medical history to both establish the current condition of the patient, and to update the file with the procedures performed during the visit. This situation would seem to be a perfect opportunity for improvements involving wireless communications. Ideally, a practitioner would carry a WCD with them to request medical information about a patient and could subsequently update a patient's file electronically. However, the information related to the patient is confidential. No one except the health professional should be able to access this information. A lack of security regarding accessing applications in a WCD, and in the transmission of the sensitive or confidential information to a user authorized to see this data, has prevented the advent of wireless communications in this arena.
Therefore, what is needed is a method and apparatus for securing a wireless communication device, the applications on the device and the transmission of information to and from the device, so as to ensure that sensitive or confidential information remains secure.